WASHINGTON -- The members of "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" (ISIS) who surrendered to Afghan forces last week in Jawzjan Province "will be prosecuted for their crimes", Gen. Joseph Votel, commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM), said Wednesday (August 8), according to a Pentagon statement.
Speaking with reporters at the Pentagon, Votel said ISIS is "not reconcilable" and must be eradicated.
"We have no illusions about reconciliation with ISIS-K [ISIS's Khorasan branch]," Votel said. "Our mission is to destroy this organisation."
"I want to highlight that the fight to eradicate ISIS-K being conducted by the United States and our Afghan partners continues," he said.
"We've killed numerous ISIS-K fighters this year, and as you may remember, we continued operations against other terrorist organisations like al-Qaeda during the recent Eid ceasefire between the government of Afghanistan and the Taliban," he added.
ISIS fighters accused of war crimes will be dealt with according to the law, Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah said Monday (August 6).
Almost 250 ISIS fighters recently surrendered to the Afghan military in Jawzjan Province after intense pressure from counter-terrorism operations. Initial reports put the number at 150.
